So Much Design, So Little Time...

Wow, what a week this has been!  Design bloggers, design shows, design lectures...my head is spinning!

Tuesday was the infamous trip to NYC to see the taping of the Nate Berkus show!  Yvonne and I survived the bus trip down by talking about the upcoming events of the day and trying to memorize the faces of the bloggers we were going to meet.  Well, Yvonne was memorizing...I gave up!  Too many faces!  We made it to NYC in record time, if you didn't count the traffic jam that made us an hour late!  Once on line, it was a virtual sea of bloggers!  We met people from all over the country and as far away as Canada!

Yvonne, Sara and Harold

Sara and Harold were two design students from the midwest who ditched school to come to the taping!  Real life experiences always add to your education! (Hope their  professors feel the same way!)

Me and Yvonne on line

Moggitgirls

No mention of Nate Day would be complete without mentioning Janet and Joy, the Moggitgirls from Canada who were instrumental in getting this whole blogger audience process off the ground!

Once inside, we were taken from waiting room to studio, all under the watchful guard of the studio pages.  Not quite sure if we were the "crown jewels" or "dead men walking".

The process of shooting a TV show is fascinating!  Our "handler", Dina, kept us entertained during the segment changes and made sure we all knew how to clap until our hands fell off!  Cameras were poised inches away from audience members trying to catch the right expression for the right moment.  Many times our view of Nate and the guests were blocked by burly cameramen trying to get the perfect angle.  But no fear, monitors were strategically placed so we didn't miss a second of the action!

Nate was introduced.  Our hands were stinging from applause!  Emily Henderson, recent winner of  Design Star, was part of the first segment in which an Army wife and her husband had their home restyled using items they already owned.  The wife needed a serious lesson in the school of  "Less is more."  Purple bunnies in boxes on the sofa....serious design faux pas!

The next segment featured Christian Siriano, winner of  Project Runway, who restyled a woman with some wardrobe issues.  One dress, three pairs of shoes, and three purses later, the woman was ready for a day at the office, night on the town, or weekend hanging around.  Why can't my wardrobe do that??

But the star of the day was Nate Berkus.  I saw his debut show, and I have to say, he was a little stiff and awkward.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and he was much more comfortable on camera interviewing his guests.  Conversation flowed...no awkward moments....practice makes perfect or at least you can learn from your mistakes!  He took a few moments after the taping to stay and answer our questions.

His one mistake of the day - if you are going to have an audience full of bloggers, do a segment on the bloggers!! Or at least mention them on camera! The blogosphere was abuzz the next day with a lot of "Nate negativity".  Give the guy a break! We realize the show is new and the guests were probably scheduled long before we were invited to be audience members.  Lesson learned - don't piss off the people who are going to write about you on the internet.  And bloggers, don't pass judgment until you see the final aired show!

The rest of the week was filled with design seminars at the Boston Design Center.  Lillian August, famed furniture and fabric designer, spoke about "Exploring the Individual Style of Today's Design Client.  Beth Lowenfeld of Hue Home and Colour, Inc., gave a fabulous seminar on " Color Trends for 2011."  "Aquatics" - beachy colors of aqua, light mint, sandy beige and "Urban Decay" - steely colors of cement and charcoal with pops of lime green and sunshine yellow are all the rage for the upcoming  year!

During lunch, I got a chance to speak with New England Home Magazine Editor in Chief Kyle Hoepner and Stacy Kunstel, the magazine's Home Editor. It's my favorite design magazine because they present many different styles, but all done with great taste and very attainable for the average human! They have a lot of great ideas for upcoming issues, so if you don't subscribe, what are you waiting for!!

Julieann Covino, Amy from Maison Decor, Kyle Hoepner, Stacy Kunstel, me, Katherine Hawkins

It was a whirlwind week filled with great design, style and inspiration.  I'm glad I got to be a part of it all!

Heard at one of the design seminars..."Leave the diva at the door"!